The ammunition strips considered in the context of the present invention are made up of cartridges clipped in a flexible strip or chain using metal connections or links. FIGS. 1 and 2 show views of such links, alone and in combination with a cartridge. The link strictly speaking 10 is made up of a first part 11 and a second part 12, generally articulated to one another. The second part 12 comprises a loop or ansa 13 that is central relative to the height of the link 10, defining an approximately semi-cylindrical opening, dimensioned to be adjusted on the case 21 of a cartridge 20 of a given caliber. The first part 11 comprises two loops 14, 15 of this type, but situated, in terms of height, respectively on either side of the central loop 13. Each of these loops 13, 14, 15 comprises, at its free ends, a small loop 16 oriented in the other direction, so as to define a flare allowing easy insertion or removal of the cartridge. The upper loop 14 of the first part 11 is extended by an essentially flat and rectangular part 17 extending upward and the lower loop 15 of the first part 11 is extended downward by an essentially flat part 18, ending with a finger 19 that is inserted into the removal groove 22 of the cartridge 20 in order to make sure that the cartridge is correctly aligned in the chain.
Furthermore, it is known that the (re)loading of a linked chain of medium or large caliber ammunition is often impossible with bare hands due to the excessive force required, or the bulk specific to a turret, for example.
Currently, this need may often be met in a relatively unorthodox manner through the use of an additional tool (hammer and chisel or screwdriver). To detach the ammunition, the percussive movement of the hammer on the chisel (or screwdriver) makes it for example possible to separate the chain at the junction of two links. It is also possible to remove the link by using the screwdriver as a lever. In the case of attaching ammunition, the penetration of the cartridge in the ansa of the free link may be obtained by a hammer blow (or a kick).
The technical problem encountered may be found outside or inside the turret:                outside the turret, before loading the linked chain of ammunition, the latter has the form of a straight strip. To make it possible to attach and/or detach pieces of ammunition, it is often sufficient to “bend” the strip practically at 90° so as to be able to rely on the torsion capacity of the ammunition strip and on the elasticity of the metal making up the links;        within a turret, however, in an ammunition rack placed behind the commander or the shooter, the space allotted to the ammunition is relatively restricted and therefore difficult to access. Under these conditions, to load and/or unload the ammunition strip, the use of a tool such as a hammer and chisel or screwdriver has many drawbacks (greater mechanical forces, dangerousness of the maneuver relative to a potential explosion, etc.)        
Solutions exist in the state of the art to resolve this problem.
Document WO 2013/122541 A1 discloses a tool making it possible to attach and/or detach one piece of ammunition relative to another due to a vertical movement relative to one another. The tool is inserted below the two pieces of ammunition, which is why it is necessary to have a certain amount of space below the latter to insert the tool.
Document EP 1 691 164 A1 discloses a tool favoring the removal of a piece of ammunition owing to a vertical movement thereof. The tool is inserted from above and pinches the piece of ammunition at the level of the chain. The links are thus disengaged so as to be able to lift the piece of ammunition like a bottle opener.
Document GB 538 815 A discloses a tool intended to remove a piece of ammunition within an existing chain by pinching several adjacent pieces of ammunition simultaneously in order to remove the central piece of ammunition therefrom.
The tools proposed in the prior art, considered alone, do not meet the criteria set out by the Applicant (calibers of the ammunition, space allocated to insert the instrument, etc.). The main drawbacks of these various approaches are as follows:                need to have sufficient space to insert the tool (either below or above the ammunition), which is why the operation cannot be done under all conditions (on the ground, within the ammunition rack, etc.);        the attaching and/or detaching do not always apply;        the calibers targeted by the present invention are not systematically accessible to the aforementioned tools.        
In summary, in this instance, the technical problem encountered is threefold:                securing the operation as much as possible to avoid a potential explosion;        taking account of the narrow space between the apex of the ammunition and the roof of the conveyor in a turret;        factoring in the narrowness inside the turret which does not make it possible to perform “excessively” ample movements done by the person during manipulation of the tool.        